Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. -- U.S. Marine Corps explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technicians assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, and Marine Wing Support Squadron 271, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, conducted surface area clearance on three air-to-ground bombing ranges on Bombing Target 11 (BT-11), Piney Island, North Carolina, April 13, 2022. Piney Island is restricted federal property owned and operated by MCAS Cherry Point and is primarily used by 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and joint partners for ordnance delivery training.
EOD technicians swept the area to locate, identify, and remove debris and ordnance that no longer possess explosive hazards, in order to reduce saturation and enable future training events. Inspected items were certified as 'safe' and submitted to range management personnel for proper disposal.
The last surface area clearance for BT-11 was conducted on May 11, 2021, and since then, many units have used the range to conduct training. BT-11 has several target options, including simulated tanks, a runway, and moving targets on the water.